LOUISVILLE -- The majority of the time, when I dine out on my own dime and not for review purposes, I don't want to have to decipher a menu full of newfangled foodie terminology just to figure out what I'm ordering. And I'd rather not listen to a server ramble on about each intricate detail about how every micro-component of each dish is prepared.

Most times, if I had my druthers, I wouldn't order a dish like fatty pork belly, or choose prosciutto made from duck over the regular di Parma variety. And, though I can appreciate and evaluate dishes that include components such as foam, assorted types of cheeks, offal cuts and innards, more often than not, I could take them or leave them.

When dining out on my own dime, the kind of places I frequent are much more simple, typically ethnic. They provide more basic kinds of approachable, everyday dishes. You won't see anyone photographing the food in my go-to places, or be too intimidated to cut into a carefully stacked plate presentation.

And though there are a few places in that vein to which I do return from time to time in Boulder County, I have yet to find one that I could see myself becoming "a regular" at -- that is, until now.

When a restaurant like Parma Trattoria Mozzarella Bar in Louisville comes along, in all of its basic, simple, approachable Italian glory, it might take you a short while to notice. It's not hip or trendy; rather, Parma might fly under your food radar for a while before you decide to give it a try, but once you do, perhaps you'll agree that Parma is the kind of place you can call your kitchen table away from home.

Located in a strip mall, Parma provides the sort of parmesan-and-crushed-red-pepper-shakers-on-the-table-neighborhood-style Italian I've been looking for since leaving the East Coast. Comfortable, homey and unassuming, the food here doesn't take center stage -- it definitely could with a few superfluous flourishes -- it's just solidly prepared and presented as it's intended to be. Here, you don't have to stop talking at the arrival of your food in order to ooh and ahh over your dish. Instead, you just know what you're about to eat is tasty, so you can carry on with your conversation, making your friends, family or dining companions the main attraction instead.

The ambience is pleasant. Sunflower yellow paint is spread on every wall in the open, airy dining room. A welcoming and warming fireplace centrally situated, affords a number of tables fireside dining. No awards would be given for design here, but once again, when you serve food this firmly rooted in classic Italian cookery, without pretense, you don't need to wow anyone with walls.

The staff is friendly, clean-shaven, neat and courteous. The room smells like hearth-baked bread and roasting garlic. Checking the boxes for good service and cleanliness, there just aren't any discernable roadblocks at Parma that stand in the way of enjoying a great meal.

With a vast menu of homemade mozzarella, pizza and pasta and more substantial Italian-style meat options, it might take you awhile to find your favorite dish. We started with the burrata, our selection from four house mozzarella options. Cheeses come with your choice of two condiments, or you can just order them house-style. A firm outer shell of hand-stretched cheese surrounded the oozier, creamier center. Drizzled with a balsamic syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt, the burrata was perched on a bed of seasoned greens and accompanied by grilled zucchini. Cripsy, crusted, chewy chunks of sourdough filled the basket on the table. The side of pesto served with the cheese was far more than we needed and served as a wonderful bread dip, long after the cheese had disappeared into our gullets.

As it was a Monday, two selections from the happy hour menu arrived next. (On Monday, it's happy hour all night!) A plateful of fire-roasted artichokes actually made us pause our conversation a moment to revel in the flavors of this simple plate. The split thistle was piping hot and retained a smokiness from the roasting process. Doused liberally with olive oil and lemon, a balsamic syrup added sweetness and left the lemon to acidulate the plate. From the generous dollop of roasted garlic aioli on the plate, you could dip each forkful in its decadence to your delight.

Another standout dish was the gluten-free margherita pizza. Parma makes actual gluten-free dough that tastes like real wheat dough, is tender and even has some stretch to it -- so much so that I had to check with the server twice to verify that we'd gotten the right crust.

After years of searching in Colorado for a close approximation to baked ziti alla Sorrentino, a childhood favorite of mine, I've finally found it in Parma's rigatoni alla norma. Though not cheese-topped and casserole baked, al dente rigatoni comes bathed in pomodoro and swirled liberally with ricotta cheese. Fresh, rather than fried, eggplant is thrown into the mix, and the resulting entree is something I'll be ordering again soon.

The only misstep of the evening was a slightly mealy shrimp scampi that could have used a heavier hand with both the lemon and the garlic, but for a $4 happy hour selection, I'll let it slide. It was easy to overlook especially after savoring the most refreshing dessert I've had in a long while. Do not miss -- and I repeat -- do not miss the Sgroppino. Limoncello features prominently in this sorbet parfait. Sunny yellow layers of Limoncello sorbet alternate with frozen snow-white cream sorbet. Not too sweet, nor too sour, just downright fantasticl.

With today's focus on fancy food and celebrity chefs, people often forget that great meals can just as easily be had right around the block at places such as Parma. Simple, approachable, Italian fare that can satisfy your soul and fulfill your everyday dining needs. And all this is achieved without the need for flourish or foam, except for just the right amount on top of my meal-sealing cappuccino.

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